Fisher Families
Fisher Family is an overarching term applied to all unaligned and permanent sailors found in the Bass Strait. Fishers, despite their varied and disparate nature, have been one of the biggest factors in founding factions and settlements around the Bass Strait. History Fisher Families arose from the various merchant sailors plying the waters around Australia on October 23rd. Without a home to return to, many chose to remain with their unofficial families on the water. This was particularly common around the large merchant port of Melbourne, Victoria. Over time, the Fisher Families expanded, marrying between one another and having children and refurbishing new vessels for them to own. Mainlander fisherman have also turned solely to the waves, adding new blood to the waters. When Victoria, Tasmania, and, to some extent, South Australia remained little more than disorganised wastelands, the Fisher Families ruled the waves unmolested. Fishing, hunting, and scavenging as they pleased, Fishers often lived better lives than their mainland counterparts. However, since the turn of the 23rd century, this pattern has reversed. Conflict with Flounders Island led to the loss of nearly 50 different families. Xenophobia and misplaced mainland ties have also seen the Fishers hunted by mainland groups or surpassed by factions from mainlands. In 2287, the age of the Fisher Family has all but disappeared. Organisation Fisher Families have no larger structure than the individual "Family" body. The basic description of a Fisher Family is a closely related family body - either nuclear or including extended family - occupying one nautical vessel. Fisher Families themselves range from small 3-4 individual units, occupying runabouts or small barges, to large, well organised 15-man families operating barges or large cargo vessels. . ]] Outside of these families, no overarching bodies exist. Fishers are more likely to side with other Fishers in disputes, but only due to a greater sense of understanding. The intermingled and intermarriage has also contributed to this sense of belonging between Fishers. Culture Fisher Families only possess a general unifying culture. Fishers can trace their ancestry back to any merchant sailor plying the waters of the Bass Strait and, as such, each family has a slightly different cultural basis. The majority have Australian culture as their base but other families have French, American or even, in one rare case, Chinese backgrounds. Despite this, most Fishers have the same worship sites and most place some form of significance in Posie to some extent. A key cultural factor of the Fisher Families is self-reliance. The families have nothing but one another. To be reliant on someone outside the family is to be weak. Trade is acceptable out of necessity but any repairs, hunting, or fighting must be done by the family and the family alive. The most problematic taboo in Fisher culture is to give up your sea legs, even when forced. Fishers that lose their legs will be, at kindest, ostracises by their former friends and colleagues. The more common response is death and raiding, as seen at Whaler's Wash. Relations Fisher Families must go ashore at some points - for repairs, to scavenge or to gather more food - and interact with the locals. With such a large, disparate group, these interactions have gone in numerous ways. Coastal settlements view Fisher Families warily - they could bring in goods from many areas or they could sack the settlement. Flounders Island viewed them as a resource to be incorporated into the nation. Victorian Railways views the Fishers as conduits to expanded business. Category:Groups Category:Raiders Category:Caravan Companies Category:Tasmania